


Creature Cure

by Phosphorite



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 13:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3938893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phosphorite/pseuds/Phosphorite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The creature that emerges through the customs has roughly a 60% chance of being Haruka.</p><p>(Or, how to cure a deep sea dweller)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Creature Cure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [haromero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haromero/gifts).



> This fic was never meant to exist as anything other than my self-indulgent ideas while droning through boring workdays. However, I decided to actually write it for a friend after her recent personal loss.
> 
> It's not much, but if it makes you smile for even a moment, it was worth typing out.

 

 

The creature that emerges through the customs has roughly a 60% chance of being Haru.

The nose that sticks past a layer of scarves glows bright, with dark hair glued to his temples like reeds. The glare he shoots down the hall is unmistakable, though; not because it's aimed at Rin (this time, anyway), but for the discomfort burning up his skin.

Rin can tell, because the heat virtually radiates off Haruka even before he stumbles into Rin's embrace.

"You spent ten hours on a plane while running fever?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"

At the unceremonious welcome, Haruka's nose huddles beneath the scarf. It's pale green with tiny embroidered snowflakes, and far too sensible to be one of Haruka's own.

"I wasn't––" he begins, before his defiance is reduced to a cough; the awkward follow-up comes just as matter-of-factly, even if it also makes Haruka avert his eyes: "Not going to travel."

In the middle of a busy arrivals lobby, it would probably not be out of place to laugh or cry. It is probably less customary to let out a groan (a bit of amusement, a bit of exasperation, a whole lot of _You're an idiot and I don't know why I'm with you_ ), but Rin's worry is also quick to melt into relief.

"Whatever," he mutters into that matted hair, "But now that you're here, it's my rules, okay? And that includes no pneumonias. So you have to do as I say."

The sound Haruka lets out is nondescript, but still gives Rin enough confidence to drag the monster home.

 

 

 

The creature that claims residence in Rin's room has roughly a 70% chance of being Haru.

A feverish hue still clings to Haruka's cheeks, but a shower and a fresh set of clothes help reduce his likeness to a deep sea dweller. Then again, this resemblance goes up and down like a yoyo between Rin's attempts at forcing food down his throat, and Haruka discovering he's indefinitely banned from swimming.

"It won't hurt me," Haruka insists once Rin succeeds in wrestling him to bed, rolling Haruka up like a blanket burrito. "Water never hurts me. You don't understand."

"Your childhood self would beg to differ," Rin mutters, wondering how long he has to sit on Haruka before the paracetamol kicks in; the room looks like a bombsite with clothes and books and omiyage strewn across the floor, but Rin's used to it involving more _holy shit I haven't seen you in months who cares if my neighbours can hear you_ , and a lot less _sit still you idiot while I dig for the cold medicine I KNOW Makoto must have sneaked into your bag._

Safe to say, it's not quite the romantic reunion he had hoped for.

"It can't be helped," Rin sighs, wondering what it would possibly take to cut through Haruka's one-track mind. "I know Winter in Japan sucks almost as much as being stuck on a plane for so long, but you'll just have to wait 'till you get better to swim."

"...I've had to wait enough."

It's a voice that's almost lost in the hum of Rin's air-conditioner, but it's unusual edge makes Rin glance down with surprise.

"Wait for what?" Rin repeats, but there is no response; the warmth and the painkillers finally work their magic, and he finds Haruka out like a light.

 

 

 

The creature that awakens at nine thirty p.m. has roughly a 65% chance of being Haru.

It's a grade A jolt straight from a Hollywood horror film, yanking up Haruka's entire body like Rin almost yanks his laptop off the desk.

 _hey hey what happened_ ∑(ﾟﾛﾟ〃) _did haruchan escape through the window_ _c'mon rinrin i wanna know_ (」°ロ°)」the chat window behind him screams, but Rin forgets all about it the moment Haruka looks around in confusion and breathes out a startled, "Rin?"

In two seconds flat he's back on Haruka's side, pushing back the hair on Haruka's forehead. The skin under his fingertips is burning up, but this only half-explains the glazed panic in Haruka's eyes.

"I'm––" Rin chokes out, mentally kicking himself for his own stupidity. "Hey, I'm here. I'm here."

He takes a deep breath. Lets his hand fall, cradles the side of Haruka's face. "Everything's fine. Your fever's–– it's just gone up again. You need to get more rest."

The second paracetamol goes down without any resistance, which is as relieving as it's also foreboding. There are times Rin would literally pay for such obedience in Haruka, but this kind of lethargy makes him want to double-check with the highest authority he knows.

 _is this normal?_ Rin texts Makoto while Haruka downs a large glass of water, _please tell me this is normal. i don't want to kill him. HELP ME_

 **You're doing fine** , come the words of reassurance, along with a line-sticker saying 'I believe in you!', **Haru hates being around people when he's sick. You're already halfway there if he's letting you look after him at all.**

Rin lifts his eyes from the phone. The fog in Haruka's head seems to have cleared a little, but he also looks–– younger, somehow, huddled up under Rin's blanket even in the warmth of a Summer night. Makoto's right, of course; this kind of vulnerability would have been off-limits to Rin just a few years ago.

Maybe there's simply something about Australia that always brings out Haruka's trust, because he doesn't even flinch when Rin's arms wrap around his shoulders.

"If you catch my cold, we're stuck here forever," Haruka mutters, but his legs still slide around Rin's own as soon as they push beneath the covers. It takes a lot of willpower not to run with that touch, but Rin distracts himself by lacing his fingers in Haruka's hair.

"...You were really looking forward to swimming outdoors again, huh?" he murmurs, "You might feel better tomorrow. I'm not going anywhere before you do."

Haruka falls silent.

His breath resumes a steady rhythm once Rin's fingertips trail down to the nape of his neck, drawing cool shapes against the heat of his skin. The sound of Haruka's breathing fills Rin with a funny kind of calmness; the sun may have long since set with Rin's plans for tonight, but it doesn't make it any less overwhelming to hear Haruka's voice through more than just the static of his screen.

"...That's not what I was looking forward to," comes that voice now, muffled by the groove of Rin's shoulder. It's laced with the same, nearly frustrated edge as before, like Rin's meant to understand something that he clearly does not.

"It's not what?" Rin repeats, but there is no response; Haruka's breathing grows heavy, and before long he's fast asleep.

 

 

 

The creature that wakes Rin up at 8 a.m. the next morning has roughly a 50% chance of being Haru, and a 50% chance of being the world's neediest cat.

When something soft rubs against his neck, Rin opens his eyes to find Haruka's lethargy gone. Well, sort of; the kisses that drag all the way up to Rin's lips _are_ pretty lazy, which is why it also takes a moment (or two, or maybe three) for Rin's brain to recall the reason why Haruka's affection comes with delay.

It takes more conviction to fight off Haruka's arms where they slide down to his waist, but Rin finally succeeds in nudging down his chin.

"Hey, if you're that energetic, there's no reason for you to not eat something," he says, hoping to cram some nutrition into Haruka at least by the time Makoto's timezone catches up; this earns an unimpressed _Look_ from Haruka, but Rin counters it with an equally non-verbal _tch_.

"You know the faster you get your stamina back, the sooner you can hit that pool, right?" he adds with a groan, and reaches up to push off the side of the bed. However, Haruka's hand shoots out and grabs his arm before he ever makes it that far.

"I told you," Haruka says, and this time his voice is clear. "It's not about that, Rin."

The touch of his skin still burns, even once the fever is gone.

"I didn't wait all Winter just to swim in an outdoor pool. I did it so I could swim with you."

It's such a small confession, yet still catches Rin off guard. Because suddenly it all makes _sense_ – the monster at the airport, the creature from the deep, and the one real cure for Haruka's restlessness that Rin overlooked all along.

He takes a deep breath, lets his arm fall, covers Haruka's fingers with his own.

"Alright," Rin says, struggling to keep fondness from overtaking his authority. "But only just this once. And only for some fifteen minutes. And only because I know how unbearable you get if you're forced to stay cooped up here for another––"

"I know," Haruka softly cuts him off, and Rin falls silent at his small smile.

_Thank you, for loving me too._

Rin can tell, because the person before him is 100% Haru.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if I can write fluff to save my life.
> 
> Not gonna stop trying, though.


End file.
